Valley History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsOf all the French names to come from that northwestern peninsula of France known as Brittany, Valley is one of the most ancient. The name is a result of the original family having lived in Brittany. The name Valley is also derived from the Old French word vallee, meaning valley, and indicates that the original bearer lived in a valley. Early Origins of the Valley familyThe surname Valley was first found in Brittany where this distinguished family held a family seat in Val, and were important members of the aristocracy of the region. Early History of the Valley familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Valley research. Another 105 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1552, 1576, 1590, 1620, 1642, 1655, 1696, 1773, 1832, 1846 and 1885 are included under the topic Early Valley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Valley Spelling VariationsThere were a great number of spelling variations in French surnames. One reason for this was the wide variety of cultural influences present in France during the early development of the French language. The many spelling variations of the name include Vallée, La Vallée, De Vallée, Valleau, Vallé, Valée, La Vallé, Valles, Vallès, Valley, Vallis, Valleix, Valleise and many more. Early Notables of the Valley familyNotable amongst this name at this time was Marin de la Vallée (1576-1655), French architect associated with the Paris Hôtel de Ville and the Luxembourg Palace; Simon de la Vallée (1590-1642), a French-born, Swedish... Valley RankingIn the United States, the name Valley is the 7,445th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1
France was active as a cultural leader in the early 16th century. One particular area in which they lead was the exploration of the New World. The explorers, like Jacques Cartier in 1534, led the way to North America. Champlain, in 1608, made the first of twenty voyages to France to attract settlers and brought the first migrant in 1617. By 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec, and the French Acadian presence in the Maritimes had reached 500. The French founded Lower Canada, thus becoming one of the two great founding nations of Canada. The family name Valley has made many distinguished contributions in France and New France to the world of science, culture, religion, and education. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Valley were Valley Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include: Valley Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
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